Northeast US could prevent rise of covid-19 by following these measures, says Fauci

Pfizer seeks authorization of its vaccine in children from 5 to 11 years old 0:30

(CNN) -

As the weather turns colder and children spend more time in school, a surge in covid-19 cases like the one in the south could be in store for the northeastern United States, but it's not too much. late to get ahead of him, Dr. Anthony Fauci said.

"It is in our power, and in our power, to prevent that from happening," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Monday.

The way to do that, he said, is by using mitigation measures such as wearing masks indoors and in schools, as well as increasing vaccination rates.

The idea of ​​vaccination mandates for schools and businesses has sparked debate across much of the country, but with the spread of the delta variant, more leaders are embracing such methods.

And evidence shows that vaccine mandates get more people vaccinated, and the more vaccinated people in a community, the more protected the community will be, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told ABC News. USA (CDC), Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Monday.

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The federal government has implemented those mandates for its employees, and President Joe Biden emphasized Monday the importance of people getting vaccinated while receiving their booster shots.

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"This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. That is why I am moving forward with the vaccination requirements whenever I can," he said.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), estimated that the wave of the delta variant could run its course by Thanksgiving Day, and the covid-19 could eventually become more in a seasonal nuisance than in a devastating pandemic.

But Fauci said that depends on many more people being vaccinated.

Currently, 55.4% of the country is fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, still far below the "vast majority" that Fauci has said needs to be vaccinated to control the spread of the virus.

And the daily rate of new vaccines is the lowest since the CDC began tracking it in mid-January, according to agency data.

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And many places are still affected by the spread.

North Carolina has received 25 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances as the state experiences a "significant increase" in calls for service during the covid-19 pandemic.

Each of the ambulances has a team of two paramedics, according to a Monday news release from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

The ambulances were provided in response to a request the state submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"These ambulances and teams will provide needed relief to our extremely busy emergency medical systems," said Will Ray, North Carolina Director of Emergency Management.

"While it is not the full complement that we requested, we know that medical resources are extremely limited across the country at this time and we are grateful for this help from our federal partners."

Vaccination mandates discussed in court

Both the mask and vaccination mandates have sparked intense debate.

In Arizona, a state ban on mask-wearing mandates in public and charter schools was scheduled to become law on Wednesday, according to a previous CNN report.

But, a Maricopa County judge ruled the ban unconstitutional Monday in a move Gov. Doug Ducey called "an example of judicial overreach."

The ruling was made because the covid-19 measures were inserted into the state budget bill, and lawmakers cannot "combine unrelated provisions into a single bill to get votes," according to the court record.

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One of Tennessee's largest school districts plans to implement a mandatory mask mandate Tuesday ordered by a federal judge, and the school district is preparing for potential protests.

"Students who refuse to wear a mask will be allowed into the school building, but know that they will not be in their regular classroom," said Knox County Superintendent of Schools Bob Thomas.

Parents will be allowed to take their children home for refusing to wear a mask, but the student's absence will be counted as unexcused, a message to families said.

New York City public school employees initially had until Monday to get vaccinated, but a judge temporarily blocked compliance with the mandate before the weekend.

The court order was dissolved Monday by a federal appeals court, allowing city schools to enforce vaccination mandates among educators once again.

The cohort of teachers and paraprofessionals who requested the court order lost their appeal, their attorneys said.

"With thousands of unvaccinated teachers, the City may regret what it wanted," said attorney for the teachers and paraprofessionals who requested the injunction, Mark Fonte, in a statement to CNN.

"Our children will be left without teachers and without security in schools."

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The vaccination deadline for school employees was extended through Friday, the city's Department of Education said after the ruling.

"Vaccines are our most powerful tool in the fight against covid-19; this decision is on the correct side of the law and will protect our students and staff," spokeswoman for the city's education department, Danielle, told CNN. Filson, in a statement.

And in Massachusetts, vaccination mandates have prompted dozens of state troopers to submit resignation papers, the president of the Massachusetts State Police Association (SPAM) Michael Cherven said in a statement.

SPAM had also filed a motion requesting to suspend the requirement while the union negotiated terms of employment for its members, but Judge Jackie Corwin said the importance of protecting citizens and officials outweighs the Union's right to negotiate the terms and conditions of the union. employment of its members.

Access to booster shots is likely to expand, but for most people there is no rush, experts say

Health experts have been talking about booster shots as another way to increase protection against the virus, but they are not currently accessible to everyone.

Pfizer's covid-19 vaccine booster doses are now available to people 65 and older and some adults with underlying medical conditions or those at increased risk for a post-vaccination infection.

While the reinforcements will likely be available to more people in the United States, not everyone will need one right away, Fauci said Monday.

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Fauci told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that many people are still well protected from their initial covid-19 vaccination, while certain categories of people, such as the elderly and those in long-term care facilities, may be ready for a booster six months after your initial vaccination.

"If you are a person who could ultimately receive a booster that will optimally protect you, you don't necessarily need to receive it tomorrow," Fauci said.

And boosters for people who received a vaccine from Moderna or Johnson & Johnson will be urgently addressed, Walensky told ABC.

"I want to reiterate that this is a very slow decline. There is no urgency here to go get your booster right away. You know, walk, don't rush to your booster appointment," he said.

"We will come and analyze the data from Moderna and J&J in a very short time."

CNN's Lauren Mascarenhas, Naomi Thomas, Jason Hoffman, Deidre McPhillips, Rebekah Riess, Devon Sayers, Amy Simonson, and Jennifer Henderson contributed to this report.

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